Home to Me (The Andrades, Book 2) (17 page)

“How was it?”

Rena had traced her top teeth lightly with the tip of her tongue, experimenting with this newfound connection. Nick’s nose had flared slightly and his eyes had narrowed, giving Rena even more confidence. “Surprisingly good.”

“The best you’ve been to?”

“Hard to say.” Rena had hidden a saucy grin, trying to keep the conversation unremarkable to those walking past. “Each one is so different.”

Nick frowned. His displeasure with her comment was so clear she wanted to tell him she was joking, but she didn’t. Way too many women had contributed to his large ego; it wouldn’t hurt him one bit to think he had to step up his game to impress her. “Planning anything interesting for this coming weekend?”

“I am, actually,” Rena said, thoroughly enjoying their banter now.

“Anything you’d like to share?”

“No.”

An entirely new expression crossed Nick’s face, but Rena wasn’t sure how to interpret it. She couldn’t tell if he was irritated or turned on by their conversation. She changed the subject, saying, “I heard you landed Westlake. Cogent has been trying to work with them for years. How did you land that?”

Nick didn’t hesitate. “Via the son. It’s not a done deal yet. We meet later in the week to nail it down.”

Rena remembered one of the reports she’d organized for Gio regarding rumors of Westlake’s expansion plans. “I have a file you might want to look over just in case Daddy decides to play hardball. It was information Gio thought would be helpful last spring, but we ended up not needing it.”

“And you’re going to give it to me?”

“Yes. You want to do well here, and this will be good for the company.”

“Why do you trust me?”

It was such a simple and heartfelt question, Rena had almost tossed her rules to the side and thrown herself in his arms. Instead, she clutched her notepad tighter to her and said, “Because I know you.”

Nick had nodded once. “Send me the file.”

Rena had taken a step back but added, “I will. Hopefully you won’t need it.”

Nick had leaned in and growled, “Waiting for Saturday is killing me.”

Rena had winked at him as she turned away. “Good.”

Nick had groaned behind her and Rena had floated all the way back to her office.

I hope I know what I’m doing,
Rena thought as she turned back to her computer and reread the memo she should have finished an hour ago.

“Is this a bad time?” Maddy asked as she breezed into the office.

Rena considered saying it was, but it wasn’t Maddy’s fault her morning had been unproductive so far. “Gio’s not here today.”

Maddy picked up a photo on Rena’s desk and studied it. “Who is the hunk with you in this photo?”

“That’s my brother, Kane.”

“That’s Kane? Why did I not know he was gorgeous?”

“Because you’re married?”

Maddy studied the photo carefully. “Not for me, silly. I’m cataloguing him in my head for future reference. Every chef needs to know what ingredients he has in his kitchen, if you know what I mean.”

Rena stood and shook her head. “Not really.”

“People think matchmaking is easy, but it doesn’t just happen. It takes time and planning. Is your brother single?”

“Yes, but he’s not looking for anyone right now. He’s married to his company.”

“If I had a nickel for every time I heard that one.”

Rena took the photo back and replaced it on her desk. “You didn’t come here to discuss my brother.”

Maddy shrugged. “You’re right. I was hoping to shamelessly pump you for information about Nick and his secretary. He hasn’t fired her yet. How close is he to falling for her?”

Rena sat back down at her desk. “I really wouldn’t know.”

“Have you ever been in love?”

Rena knocked over a cup full of paper clips, made a wild grab for them, then swore when they scattered across the rug behind her. “No.”

“Then you may not know what to look for. Is he distracted lately? Do you catch him smiling at odd times? Watch for changes in his behavior. That’s usually a sure sign.”

“I told you—I’m not getting involved in this.”

“Sure, you said that, but now you’ve had time to think it over. Janet is perfect for Nick. She’s sweet. She’s honest. From everything I hear, they get along really well. I just want confirmation of the rumors.”

Rena slapped a hand down on her desk. “How many times do I have to tell you no? No, I’m not helping you hook Nick up with his secretary. I’m not watching the two of them together to see how they get along. Do you know why? Because I don’t care how close they are or aren’t. It doesn’t matter to me. Now can I get back to work?”

“Oh, my God, you like him.”

Rena froze. “I don’t.”

“Oh, my God, you’re the woman from the photo at the bar. I didn’t see the resemblance until just now.”

“I’m not.”

“You should have told me. Of course you don’t want to fix Nick up with his secretary. You want him for yourself.” Maddy leaned forward across her desk. “I feel awful for not guessing sooner. You must hate me.”

“I don’t.”

“You poor thing. Does he know? Of course he knows, because you were kissing him in the photo.”

“That was a joke. Nothing more.”

Maddy clapped her hands together. “I could teach a detective course. See, I wasn’t even sure it was you but I thought I’d take a chance. Amazing how that works, isn’t it? It’s because I have a sense about people. That’s why I’m so good at matching them up.”

Do you also know when they want you to leave their office?
Rena kept that thought to herself.

“Come out to lunch with me. I have to rethink this whole plan. You and Nick. This changes everything.”

“There is no me and Nick.”

“Maddy, I could hear you all the way down the hall,” a deep male voice said from behind them.

Maddy turned and threw her arms around Luke, crushing him in a hug. “Luke, why are you here today?”

He hugged her warmly, then replied, “Gio called and said he and Nick have a reason to celebrate. I had a window of time open so I thought I’d meet them for lunch. What trouble are you starting now?”

Maddy’s eyes rounded. “It’s a secret.”

Luke looked across at Rena sympathetically. “Then you two probably shouldn’t be shouting down the hallway.”

Rena lunged from her chair. “Did anyone else hear us?”

Luke shook his head. “Not that I saw. So what is this about you and Nick?”

“There is no me and Nick.”

Maddy let out an audible sigh. “She likes him.”

Rena spun on Maddy and snapped, “You are the world’s worst secret keeper.”

Maddy threw up both hands in triumph. “I knew it.”

Luke walked over and looked down at Rena. “Is there something going on I should know about?”

“No,” Rena and Maddy said in unison.

Rena glared at Maddy, who shamelessly smiled back at her. Scrambling for damage control, Rena said, “Maddy doesn’t understand that I’ve known Nick my whole life. Of course I like him. He’s like a brother to me.”

Maddy raised an eyebrow. “Oh, you can lie with a straight face. I’ll have to remember that.”

Luke looked back and forth between the two women. “Rena, I hope you don’t have feelings for Nick. He and Gio are finally getting along.”

“I know,” Rena said and rubbed her forehead roughly. “I would never do anything to endanger that.”

“Why can’t Rena and Nick get together?” Maddy asked.

Luke held Rena’s eyes. “Because if Gio found out, he’d never trust Nick again.”

“Which is why,” Rena said slowly, “nothing will ever happen between us.”

Maddy took one of Rena’s hands in hers. “I had no idea. This is so sad. Luke, couldn’t you talk to Gio? Get him to soften his opinion about it?”

Luke didn’t look away from Rena. “I wouldn’t even try. I don’t think they belong together either.”

Maddy cocked her head to one side and studied Luke’s expression. “Do you have feelings for Rena?”

He shook his head. “Not the kind you’re referring to, but I do care about her. Too much to ever let her date my brother. He’s coming around, Rena, but he’s not the one for you. Your heart goes out to him because you know what he’s going through, but he needs to figure it out on his own. If this goes badly, I don’t want him to pull you down with him.”

“You could improve his chances of succeeding here, Luke, if you showed a little more faith in him.” Rena folded her arms across her chest as she voiced the one opinion she was comfortable sharing in this conversation.

The tension in the room was as thick as the silence that dragged on was long.

“Awkward,” Maddy said with some humor as the standoff continued.

Rena didn’t back down. “You could also try having a little faith in me.”

Luke held her eyes for another moment, then sighed and said, “Sorry. This is the closest to happy I’ve seen my family be in a long time, and I don’t want anything to ruin it.”

“You don’t have to worry because nothing is going on,” Rena said firmly. She turned and pinned Maddy down with a glare. “Nothing. Are we clear?”

Maddy reluctantly agreed. “Gotcha. Nothing.” She tapped a finger on the corner of Rena’s desk, her irrepressible smile returning. “So, lunch, Rena?”

Rena shook her head and chuckled at Maddy’s persistence. “Not today. I really do have a lot of work to do.” She looked down at the paper clips strewn around the area behind her desk. “I should get back to it.”

Luke took out his phone. “That’s Gio. He and Nick are downstairs in a car. See you ladies later.” Just before he walked out the door, he stopped and said, “Rena, I’d ask you to come, but—”

Rena gave him a small smile. “I know.”

“Maddy? What about you?”

She looked down at her Cartier watch. “I’ve been away from the babies long enough.” She glanced at Rena, real sympathy in her eyes. “Besides, I got what I came here for.”

“I’ll walk you down.”

Maddy and Luke left together and Rena laid her forehead on her desk.

I probably should have gone to lunch with Maddy. She’ll never keep this to herself. Hoping she will is like hoping the sun won’t come up tomorrow.

Rena had watched how doggedly Maddy had pursued Gio when she’d wanted him to attend her cousin’s wedding. Hopefully this time she’d see that getting involved would only make things worse. Rena bent and gathered the scattered paper clips, returning them methodically to their container on her pristine desk.

Maddy didn’t base her decisions on what others thought was best for her. As far as Rena had seen, Maddy made her own rules and expected others to love her for it.

Eventually everyone did.
So why do I think the world will come to a halt if I am caught doing what I want for a change?
She half smiled as she thought about the coming weekend.
Or who I want?

I can’t let the possibility that Maddy might spill the beans ruin this for me.

Rena held the container of paper clips in one hand and studied them with a frown.
Maddy would never settle for boring. I don’t want to anymore, either. And to everyone who thinks that I’ll get my heart broken?

You don’t know me.

Heartbreaking is going to bed each night alone or, worse, with someone who makes you wish you were.

Rena tipped the container upside over the waste bin and emptied it.
I deserve fucking colorful paper clips. And amazing, mind-blowing sex on Saturdays.

And I refuse to feel badly about that.

***

During lunch at Sardi’s, Nick looked across the table at his youngest brother, Max. “I had no idea you were in town.”

“I’m looking into redeveloping an area in Secaucus.” Max shrugged.

“In Secaucus?” Gio asked, mulling over the idea.

Max nodded.

“Have you purchased the property yet? I may have some useful connections,” Gio offered.

Raising one hand, Max dismissed the idea. “Thanks, but you know I like to work things out on my own.”

Luke reached for his glass. “Is it a casino?”

“No, it would be an expansion of my hotel chain. I haven’t fully committed to the endeavor yet.”

The reason wasn’t a mystery to Nick. “He doesn’t know if he can handle being that close to us.”

Max groaned. “I went to see Mom. She’s as crazy as ever. I couldn’t get out of there fast enough.”

“How did she look?” Gio asked casually, but he was watching Max closely.

“So, that part was true? You’re not speaking to her?” Gio started to say something, but Max cut him off. “Forget I said that. I really don’t want to know. I came here because Luke said we have something to celebrate.”

Luke leaned in toward Nick. “I called him after I spoke to Gio about your meeting this morning. I thought he’d like to know that things are going well. I had no idea he was in town, but when I found out, it seemed like a perfect time for all of us to get together.”